Swine flu fears may halve Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
The Saudi government's possible ban on hajj pilgrims aged below six and above 65 years to prevent a swine flu epidemic during the hajj might slash the number of Bangladeshi pilgrims by a half this year, according to State Minister for Religious Affairs Shahjahan Mia, reports bdnews24.com.
The state minister told the news agency Monday that the Saudi authority was yet to officially announce the ban.
Bangladesh is supposed to send around 59,000 pilgrims to the hajj, the biggest congregation of Muslims, late this year under government and private management.
Officials at the religious affairs ministry said the Bangladesh consul in Saudi Arabia recently wrote to the ministry that the Saudi government had decided to clamp the ban on pilgrims aged below six and above 65 years.
"We don't have any specific information about how many pilgrims will not be able to go for hajj if the ban is imposed, but the number can come down to a half," the state minister said.
"This will hurt Bangladesh, but the government will try its best to minimise the potential loss," he added.
Hajj Association of Bangladesh President Ibrahim Bahar said if the decision was finalised, maximum 20,000 to 25,000 pilgrims would be able to perform hajj this year.
Bahar said the hajj agencies had already spent around Tk 100,000 on each pilgrim for hajj management and would not be able to get back the money, which meant they would also not be able to return the money to the potential ineligible pilgrims.
The state minister told the news agency Monday that the Saudi authority was yet to officially announce the ban.
Bangladesh is supposed to send around 59,000 pilgrims to the hajj, the biggest congregation of Muslims, late this year under government and private management.
Officials at the religious affairs ministry said the Bangladesh consul in Saudi Arabia recently wrote to the ministry that the Saudi government had decided to clamp the ban on pilgrims aged below six and above 65 years.
"We don't have any specific information about how many pilgrims will not be able to go for hajj if the ban is imposed, but the number can come down to a half," the state minister said.
"This will hurt Bangladesh, but the government will try its best to minimise the potential loss," he added.
Hajj Association of Bangladesh President Ibrahim Bahar said if the decision was finalised, maximum 20,000 to 25,000 pilgrims would be able to perform hajj this year.
Bahar said the hajj agencies had already spent around Tk 100,000 on each pilgrim for hajj management and would not be able to get back the money, which meant they would also not be able to return the money to the potential ineligible pilgrims.